


Bordering Trouble

by half_sleeping



Category: World Trigger
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-18 20:30:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 10,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8175005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/half_sleeping/pseuds/half_sleeping
Summary: Ficlet collection for 31 Days of WT fic prompts.





	1. Traps

**Author's Note:**

> Pray for me.

**Traps**

 

“Oi,” said Kinuta, looking up from his work on the table. “Who said you could come back here? We didn’t call for you.”

“I invited him to look at something,” said Raizou.

“I’ve received payment and must fulfill my commision,” said Yuuma. He gleamed at Kinuta ✧, who frowned.

“Payment?” grunted Kinuta, crossing his arms at Yuuma.

“I had to pay him first before the cafeteria closed,” explained Raidou. “Here, Kuga.”

“So what is this?” Yuuma asked.

“Scale model of the base,” said Raizou. “We’re using it to design more traps.”

“Don’t tell him _that_ ,” said Kinuta. “That’s confidential information!”

“We have a training room simulation of it too,” said Raizou to Yuuma. “We test it against the simulated trion soldiers.”

“I see, I see,” said Yuuma. “Siege defense is different for you guys.”

“This is about inside the base,” said Raizou, clearly filing that bit of information away for later. “We’ve had Neighbours infiltrate us twice already. We’re redesigning the traps and beefing up security. Think of it as an obstacle course.”

“Why me?” said Yuuma, peering all over at the simulation. “Not that it doesn’t look fun.”

“You don’t know the base,” said Raizou. “You’ll have to guess where the important areas are and decide how to infiltrate based on your plan of attack. Additionally,” he said. “You’ve got great mobility and agility. By studying your data, we’ll know how to adjust our traps for even Neighbours who move like you do.”

“Heeeh,” said Yuuma. “I get it. That’ll be fun.”

“Isn’t it _late_ ,” demanded Kinuta from across the room. “Don’t you have to go back to your branch? And sleep! For school! It’s dinnertime, you know!”

“I don’t really need to sleep so it’s okay,” said Yuuma. “And I just ate.” He turned to Raizou. “Let’s do it.”

“Huh, what have we come to,” said Kinuta. “Asking for help from Neighbours… from Tamakoma!”

“Good hunting,” said Raizou.

A very enjoyable four hours later, Raizou buzzed Yuuma out of the simulation room.

“Is that going to be enough data?” Yuuma asked.

“I was updating as you were on the move,” said Raizou. “There’s plenty. Thanks for your hard work.” He indicated a spread of snacks and packaged food on the table. “Kinuta-san left those in case you wanted more payment. Since the canteen’s closed this late. He said he didn’t want you complaining you got cheated.”

Yuuma grinned. “Kinuta-san tells some amusing lies sometimes,” he said to Raizou.

“Yup,” said the engineer.


	2. Kogetsu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Right at the setup of the current Border.

**Kogetsu**

 

“No no,” said Tachikawa, frowning. “This isn’t right.”

Kazama, mid-grapple between Tachikawa’s Kogetsu and his own, said, “What?” and for his momentary confusion was forced back in a leap.

“This!” said Tachikawa, as if they weren’t in the middle of a fight. He brandished his sword with a flick of his wrist, incidentally slashing out a senkyuu that Kazama avoided by a hair.

“Is there a malfunction with your trigger?” said Kazama, though he still kept on guard for another attack.

“I’ve been thinking about it since we started,” said Tachikawa. “Nothing wrong with the trigger.”

“Oh?” said Kazama. “Am I boring you, Tachikawa?”

“No, no,” said Tachikawa. “I’ve been thinking, right.”

“If you say so,” said Kazama.

“We’re going to be adding more people soon,” said Tachikawa. “Shinoda-san said we’d be expected to step up.”

“Yes…” said Kazama. “We will providing guidance and modelling appropriate agent behaviour, as we would be in any organization with incoming juniors.”

“Yeah so I’ve been trying to think,” said Tachikawa.

“Twice,” murmured Kazama.

“How do I teach, you know. How do I,” he waved to himself with his sword, “teach _this_ ,” he pointed to his sword.

“Training…?” said Kazama.

“Yeah,” said Tachikawa. “How’m I gonna teach them…” he pointed to himself, "to be as good at ✧this✧?”

Since hitting himself in the head would involve stabbing himself with his trigger, Kazama opted instead to attack, lunging in at an angle.

“Like this,” said Tachikawa, fending him off. “You know what our gap is? Other than just that I’m this good.”

“Do, tell,” said Kazama, straining as he pushed with all his weight on Tachikawa’s guard.

“Range,” said Tachikawa. “You move out from too far to get your blade into place. No momentum and I see it coming a mile away.”

“That’s... unusually perspicacious of you,” said Kazama.

“Trion bodies don’t sweat,” said Tachikawa.

Kazama’s attack faltered for an instant and Tachikawa shoved him back, leaning on Kazama’s trigger and forcing him down, down.

“Not that you can’t overpower me,” said Tachikawa. “But your chances to do so are so limited… I can’t think of any solutions to this problem… maybe… I’m just too good?”

Kazama’s knees buckled. Tachikawa wasn’t expecting it, and he overbalanced forward as Kazama’s other hand came up and punched him in the face with the hand holding Kogetsu’s scabbard.

Tachikawa fell sideways, and Kazama rolled free and back up into a guard stance.

“Ow,” complained Tachikawa. “I’m struggling with a serious problem here, Kazama.”

“Your problems,” said Kazama, “are stupid.”

“Harsh, man,” said Tachikawa.

“Accurate,” said Kazama. “If you really want to take it further, why don’t you try the new trigger Jin’s building? Maybe you’ll be good at teaching that.”


	3. Scorpion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FOLLOWS THE PREVIOUS ONE.

**Scorpion**

“Guuuuuys,” Jin’s familiar voice cut through Tachikawa and Kazama’s sparring time. “Need a favour.”

“I’m almost done beating Kazama again,” said Tachikawa, catching Kazama’s Kogetsu with his own and throwing the smaller boy back. “What’s up?”

Kazama slid to a stop and raised his blade into a guard position.

“I could do with both of you, if you’re free,” said Jin.

“I have _no_ thing to do,” said Tachikawa, with perfect truth.

“What is it,” said Kazama, more suspicious. Jin entered their sparring room. Unusually, he was not yet in his trion body.

Probably. It was getting harder and harder to tell.

“You haven’t been around much lately,” Kazama said to him.

“I,” said Jin, brandishing a trigger holder, “have been _at work_.”

“Oooh,” said Tachikawa obediently.

Kazama looked up at the trigger holder, then back at Jin’s beaming face. “Yes?” he said.

“Yes,” said Jin. “It’s finally ready for some battle testing.”

“Are you going to tell us what it is?” said Kazama.

“I call it Stingy,” said Jin, activating the trigger. The blade extended out of his hand, considerably shorter than the Kogetsu both the other attackers were wielding. “But Engineer-san wants to call it Scorpion once it’s out of development.”

“Is it just a shorter sword?” said Tachikawa. “But why would _you_ need it, it’s not like you’re-” His free hand moved to indicate Kazama’s height, the fingers casually splayed around an invisible, miniscule hea-

Kazama brought his sword around, lightning-quick, and smashed it into Tachikawa’s stomach, driving the other boy backwards.

“Me first,” Kazama said, using his momentum to rush for Jin’s blade.

“Hey!” yelled Tachikawa.

“Brought that on yourself, friend,” said Jin, and parried Kazama. Kazama observed Jin’s movements as they fenced back and forth with their triggers and went on the attack. Jin’s Foresight aside, in direct combat he was easier to deal with than Tachikawa. Kazama pressed his advantage and bore down with all his bodyweight on Stingy, which cracked and shattered into shards of light.

“As expected,” said Kazama. “Poor durability, Jin.”

“You’re always so observant,” said Jin appreciatively.

Tachikawa snorted. “Well _that’s_ no use at all as a-”

Jin stabbed Kazama in the shoulder, overhand.

Kazama flinched but grabbed Jin’s hand, trapping the trigger. “Faster to form and easier on trion as well,” he said. “I assume. Damage not high, Jin?”

And that was when Jin smirked and _another_ blade came out of the back of his hand, stabbing Kazama through his hand and then through his head.

Kazama opened his eyes on the training room bailout mat to the sound of Tachikawa whooping with laughter. “You take the next round, Tachikawa,” he said. “I’ll be watching.”

“Thanks for going first, dude,” said Tachikawa. “Jin! Come on!”

Contrary to his promise, Kazama closed his eyes, thinking about Jin’s Stingy.

Kazama waited for them to come out, Tachikawa blazing with satisfaction like a well-exercised dog.

Jin flexed his hands and smiled. “What’d you think?” He passed the trigger over to Kazama, who took it automatically and looked at it. A tattered sticky label on the casing said STINGY in Jin’s messy handwriting.

He looked at Tachikawa, who was watching him look at Jin’s new trigger. Jin, over Kazama’s head, gave Tachikawa a thumbs-up.

“Hm,” said Tachikawa, still gleaming. “I’m screwed?”


	4. Sniping

The trigger weapon is cool and sleek under her hands, wrapped in her arms. The barrel gets hot after every shot, but it’s a familiar, tingling warmth, something she feels in the pads of her fingers through the trion gloves as though they’re real. 

Every part of it hums under her touch. 

Usami-sempai has loaded up target program after target program, and Chika fills mannequin-shaped moving targets with trion holes, aiming for the vital spots she’s memorising, as though they’re real people. This is the leg. This is an arm. This is a hea-

Chika jerks aside and the shot goes wide. No matter how many times she does this, she can’t get used to it. 

Even knowing that no one’s really hurt, that no one is taking damage from this- 

Yuuma-kun is just another boy. Just like them. 

She settles herself back into place and paces out her breathing, becoming still and calm and deadly. 

Deadly to trion. 

Chika aims and shoots and aims and shoots. Hatohara-san was so good that not sniping humans didn’t matter. If Chika becomes that good, maybe- 

She won’t become a liability. Not anymore. 

 

“You’ve been in there for hours,” says Usami-san, clucking over Chika. “Training isn’t everything, you know.”

“I like it,” says Chika. Her hands feel warm and tingle as if to warn her there’s nothing in them. “I’m getting better, I think.” 


	5. Grasshopper

“AGENTS AND AGENTS, WELCOME TO THE EXTREEEEME HOPSCOTCH QUALIFICATION ROUND OF THE FIRST INAUGURAL TRIGGER GAMES CIRCA THIS TIME RIGHT NOW!”

“THE RULES ARE SIMPLE! THE ONLY RULE IS THAT WHAT GOES DOWN, MUST COME UP! ANY ATTACK MUST BE DONE WHILE LAUNCHED INTO THE AIR BY A GRASSHOPPER! IF THE AGENT FALLS OR MISSES THEIR MARK, THEY MUST LEAP INTO THE AIR AGAIN USING GRASSHOPPER IF THEY WISH TO SCORE ANY POINTS!”

“IT’S A FREE-FOR-ALL THE LIKES OF WHICH BORDER HAS PROBABLY NEVER SEEN! ON THE RIGHT WE HAVE ARASHIYAMA-KUN AND TOKIEDA-KUN, TEAMING UP MOMENTARILY AGAINST KAGEURA-KUN, WHO’S HAVING SOME TROUBLE MISSING HIS ATTACKS WHILE HIS OPPONENTS ARE UP IN THE AIR!”

ON THE LEFT, A SURPRISE CONTENDER, A-RANK AGENTS ATTACKERS NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO COMING IN HARD WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE GRASSHOPPER STYLES! KAZAMA-SAN IS USING HIS TRADEMARK HIGH-MOBILITY WHILE- OHHHH, TACHIKAWA-SAN, WITH SENKYUU KOGETSU! WHY DIDN’T WE BAN THAT FOR THIS EVENT?”

“OUR SPECIAL S-RANK GUEST IS  _ USING HIS OPPONENTS GRASSHOPPERS _ ! SUPERB USE OF HIS SIDE EFFECT FROM THE ELITE AGENT JIN, USING IT (what? of course everyone knows that’s what you’re doing!) TO THROW OFF HIS SURROUNDING OPPONENTS! NOTHING LESS HAS BEEN EXPECTED! WHAT DUPLICITY! WHAT TIMING! WHAT-”

“What is going on here?” said Commander Kido’s voice, very calm, very cold. 

Three operators froze, their fingers twitching above their keyboards. Several attackers  _ whomp _ ed heavily onto the ground or each other, missing their marks. 

“Uh,” said Ayatsuji. “Um, uh-”

“It’s… we-” said Ren.

“Special Attacker Joint Training, SIR,” bellowed Jin from inside the training room. 

It wasn’t possible to run out of breath in a trion body. Everyone was sure. Sure. 

“Be advised,” said the Commander, without even a sigh to break a rush of static, and just before they all passed out, “that you are broadcasting on  _ all _ public training channels and disrupting the training and operation of other agents. Do not make this mistake during your training again.”

“W- we’ll fix that right away, sir,” said Shiori. 

Commander Kido hung up.  


	6. Chameleon

“Anyone seen Kazama?” said Tachikawa, sprawled inelegantly on the floor. He put down his game controller. Well. Kunchika’s game controller. 

“No,” said Suwa, not looking up from his card game with Azuma. “He didn’t answer his calls. Is he even at the base today?” 

“He was here,” said Tachikawa, reaching for his beer. 

“He was here,” said Azuma. “I saw him come in this morning.” He fanned out his hand of cards. “I invited him to come down, he said he would be with the engineers all day.”

“They’re doing more modifications to his uniform,” Tachikawa recited, then looked pleased with himself for having retained information heard just earlier today. “Chameleon, huh?”

“Must be nice to be A-rank,” said Suwa, putting down another card. 

“It must be taking a while,” said Azuma. “If he’s putting it through some extensive tests.”

“So… he could be right here, right now,” said Tachikawa. 

Azuma paused and looked closely at the attacker. “It’s possible,” he said. “But Kazama isn’t the type to play pranks like that.”

“He did it before,” said Suwa. “Stealth training he said, stealth training my ass. I almost had a heart attack.”   
“So…” said Tachikawa. “He could be right here, right now.”

“Fuck man, don’t give me the creeps,” complained Suwa. “It’s hard enough to keep losing money to Azuma-san, I’m already on double defense shifts tonight.”

“Last hand, then,” said Azuma peacefully. “I have to meet someone soon.” While Tachikawa apparently divided his mental resources between contemplating Kazama skulking unseen through Border HQ and failing to beat Izumi’s latest high score, the elder two finished their game and Suwa grumbled around his cigarette as he paid up. 

“I’ll get in a real smoke before I have to go out,” said Suwa. “Tachikawa, you coming?”

“Too comfortable,” said Tachikawa, his eyes half-closed. Azuma’s thoughtful gaze dwelled on Tachikawa’s lolled-back head for a moment, but he only said, “See you later,” and left with Suwa.

Just as the door clicked shut Kazama materialised, sitting peacefully in the space that had been left open by Tachikawa’s spread legs. 

“Tired?” said Tachikawa, grinning. 

“Thirsty,” said Kazama. He took the can out of Tachikawa’s hand. “Your teammates are underage, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“As long as I don’t take it out of the team room it’s fine,” said Tachikawa, unperturbed. “They wouldn’t touch it.” 

Kazama drained it and put the empty can just out of Tachikawa’s easy reach.  

“Azuma suspected,” said Tachikawa. 

“You’re easy to read,” said Kazama. “And you were being too obvious about it.”

“Don’t I get any credit for guessing you were here at all?” said Tachikawa, mock-outraged. 

“I handed that to you,” said Kazama. “So, no.” He stood in a single smooth movement, sleek in his squad uniform. He glanced at the wall clock. “I’ll keep going until my trion reserves are depleted. I’d like to have results for the engineers by the end of the day.”

“Sure,” said Tachikawa. He didn’t look to see if Kazama had already reactivated Chameleon. 

Tachikawa scratched his head. “Hey, are you-”

The door opened behind Tachikawa, and then closed. 

“You still here?” said Tachikawa, into the expectant silence. His skin prickled. “Kazama?”

A whisper of air, the very faintly beery smell of Kazama’s breath. “Guess.”


	7. Starmaker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Swapped out Shield for Starmaker, bc I'm already failing.

Fuyushima jumped as a heavy hand landed on his back. “Late night, Fuyushima?” said Kinuta, looming over his shoulder.

“Yup,” said Fuyushima, freezing. “Late… late night.”

“Morning, Kinuta-san,” said Touma, raising his groggy head from where he’d been asleep on the other side of the desk. 

“Night, boy,” said Kinuta. He returned to fixing Fuyushima with a gimlet eye. “I hope that’s a legitimate, sanctioned project you’re working on there… since you’re not signed into any log nor have you submitted any project reports or requests in long time. Since you formed your team, in fact. And SINCE,” he growled, “we we don’t have the time or the money or the trion to waste on idiotic personal projects or joke triggers with no gain,  _ do we _ .”

“I could not agree more Sir,” said Fuyushima. “ Can’t seem to find the time for paperwork these days. It’s a- uh, tracking… bullet.”

“Oh?” said Kinuta. 

“Yes, tracking… those… bullets.” said Fuyushima. 

“Tracking what with those bullets,” said Kinuta, folding his arms. 

“Human combatants,” said Touma promptly. “We thought that by firing those bullets, we could track a person… that is, a humanoid personage… neighbour…type…

“It’s connected with the,” he lowered his voice and theatrically looked around the completely empty lab, “ _ away missions _ , sir.”

“Oh?” said Kinuta. 

“Yes,” said Fuyushima. “Here and here, sir, we’re just... I’m just working out the details of a snipe with Touma here. You can see I’m working on making the beacon broadcast only available to our agents and operators.”

“Huh,” said Kinuta, stroking his chin. “Glad to see you haven’t lost your touch, Fuyushima! I look forward to seeing the finished prototype.”

“Yes sir,” said Fuyushima. “Still working hard.”

“Good, good,” said Kinuta. He clapped Fuyushima hard on the back and strode out, pleased.

“S’for the best,” said Touma. “We still hadn’t figured out how to get the alarm bug to stay on even when Risa’s not in uniform, let alone how we were going to get it on her stuff the first time.”

Fuyushima sighed heavily. “You’re not the one who has to make a whole new bullet out of a trion soldier.”

“Could be useful, anyway,” said Touma. “We could've put one on him.” 


	8. Gunner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: Speculative for the Away Ship.

**Gunner**

 

“And then,” said Ninomiya, demonstrating, “You turn your hands together, and  _ smoosh _ .”

“That’s what he said?” said Osamu, faltering. 

“That’s what he said,” said Ninomiya. He looked up from his trion-covered hands. “It’d be easier to understand if you tried it yourself,” he said, pointedly.

“Y-yes, right!” said Osamu. He concentrated his attention on his triggers, spread between his palms. He pushed them together, but instead of combining they wobbled madly and rushed past each other, automatically repelled. Osamu pulled his hands apart and tried it again, and again. His Meteora and Viper refused to combine. Ninomiya had already combined his triggers; he stood with the ominously pulsing pyramids gently orbiting his breastbone.

“Maybe if they were bigger,” said Inukai, over the training room intercom. “We gonna be on this trip long enough for that? -Ow,” he laughed, as Yuuma punched him in the arm. “Someone had to say it, Kuga.”

“Size isn’t a function of trion control,” said Ninomiya. “Be quiet or go away.” He refocused his attention on Osamu, who stood there sheepishly. 

“Understand,” he said, “that creating a trajectory for a bullet isn’t just a matter of pointing and expecting it to arrive at that point. Izumi and Nasu excel at composite bullets precisely because of their real-time control over the arrival point of every last segment of trion.”

Osamu nodded. 

“This applies,” said Ninomiya, throwing aside the Tomahawk with a flick of his eyes, “to all the trion being utilised by the trigger, both before and after they’re shaped into bullets.” 

Osamu closed his eyes against the flash, the bullets detonating harmlessly against the virtual walls of the away ship’s training room. 

“And so,” said Ninomiya, forming the separate triggers again, “A conscious effort of will and concentration is required to allow the composite bullet to form.” His brow furrowed as he slowed down the process as much as possible for Osamu to watch. “Essentially, you are creating an entirely new trigger form out of trion that has already been shaped. Try it again. Every bit of that trigger is a part of you.”

Osamu tried it again. The triggers weren’t just cubes, to be disassembled and put back together, to be plugged into at will. They were extensions of his body. This had been the goal, over the many months of training since the Invasion; to move as though his weapons were a part of him. A small, glowing cube inside his chest he could neither touch or sense.

“You’ve gone wrong,” said Ninomiya, flat.

Osamu stopped, each cube half-melded onto the other like a three-dimensional wood puzzle. Yuuma and Inukai cheered indiscriminately for him over the intercom.

He had no idea how that had happened. “It… takes longer than I thought,” said Osamu. How long had he just been staring at them?

“That is why it requires such absorption and skill to produce during a real fight, and why, as I repeat, it will take a user of much greater skill and competence than you and I both to regularly use them in battle against opponents like the Neighbours we may encounter,” said Ninomiya. “Combining the triggers is the very first step in composite bullets. It’s one you would do well to master considerably before you even think of approaching the next step.” He stepped back, indicating their session at an end. “Inukai, it’s five hours until our squad’s watch. Leave your trion body and rest.”

“Yes boss,” said Inukai sweetly. 

“T-thank you for your instruction!” said Osamu hurriedly, bowing to his back. “I- I may have to ask you again for-”

“You will,” said Ninomiya. He put his hands in his pockets, waiting to be transmitted out of the training room. “I suppose we have the time.” 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: I had a very hard time trying to decide how Konami reconciles pretending to be an operator at school with being... ‘Konami’.

 

“Konami-san,” said Haruka, whom Konami was about sixty percent sure she had never met or spoken to before. “You work with Border, right? May we speak to you about it?”

“Hah,” said Konami, startled out of sleep. “Oh, yes, Border. I am a Border agent, yes.”

Haruka and Haruka’s friend stared at her with huge impressed eyes. “Could we ask you,” said Haruka, working her hands together, “what is it…  _ like _ ? After all these attacks, we keep hearing about people enlisting and- it sounds so interesting, but also so dangerous, and we- we saw Nasu-san on the news feature about how Border’s technology is advancing medical science, but she has a very different role, doesn’t she?” Haruka lowered her voice. “ _ Gunner _ , was it called? And she fights! Against those huge things!”

“Konami-san, you’re an Operator, right?” said Haruka’s friend. “They… don’t go out into battle, do they?”

“No, I’m an A-” Konami started to say. “Aaaaan Operator,” she hastily covered up. “I am an Operator. I operate.” 

Haruka clasped her hands. “I thought so,” she said. “Like Tsukimi-sempai!”

“Yes,” said Konami baldly. “Like Tsukimi-sempai.” Except not at all like that. 

“It must be so rewarding,” said Haruka’s friend. “Cool under pressure, supporting your teammates!”

“We’ve seen Kitora-san with Arashiyama Squad on the news as well,” said Haruka. “She’s so brave, but only a middle schooler!”

“Teruya-san from the year below us and Kitora-san are…. Attackers? That sounds so… violent,” Haruka’s friend breathed. “Your job must be nothing like that, Konami-san!”

“No,” said Konami, scrabbling frantically for solid ground. “Nothing at all. I-in fact, I don’t even work at HQ, I go to one of the branches. So my job is completely different from theirs! Yes!” She coughed. “Is that what you wanted to know?” she said. 

“How do we-” said Haruka. “How do we  _ know _ what position we’re suited for?” 

“You see,” started Konami, then paused as she recalled that she’d picked up the only available attack trigger and done whatever she wanted from there. She couldn’t even imagine a life without that reality. “You’ll only find out through experience,” she advised them. “The only way for you to find out for sure if Border is for you is for you to try it yourselves.” She smiled, reassuringly.

“Such mature advice, Konami-san,” said Haruka. She clenched her delicate fists. “We- we’ll seriously consider it!” Her friend nodded enthusiastically. 

Konami waved to them as they ran off down the corridor back to their classes. “Good luck if you do decide to do it!” she called. She turned back into her classroom, which was peaceful and pretty, every well-brought-up young lady sitting down to their books as though no one among their number would ever think of needing to fight monsters. “Good luck,” she said. 


	10. Gunners

“Children!” said Netsuki. “Parading around! With guns!” he clutched his head. “Do you have any idea how that looks?”

“Better or worse than children! Parading around! Being killed by giant chest-ripping monsters?” snorted Kinuta. “I’m designing weapons here, not props!”

Netsuki clutched his chest. “Both,” he said. “ _ Both _ .” 

“Now, now,” said Karasawa. “The bullets are non-lethal to flesh bodies, no? Just include that in the press releases, and move on.”

“Move on?” Netsuki squawked. “Move on, when every other photo of our agents online and in the news will be plastered under the headline ‘Border’s Child Soldier Corps’? Move on, when potential agents are going to recruit each other by imagining the kinds of automatic weapons they’re going to carry and attack each other with?  _ Move on,  _ when you’re proposing that children run! Around! Carrying! Guns!”

“They are child soldiers,” said Kinuta.

“That’s a little on the nose,” murmured Karasawa. 

“In a very few years, most of them will come of age,” said Shinoda, presumably for reassurance. 

Netsuki raised his hands wordlessly and dropped back into his chair. 

“The improved shooting triggers increase battle capability and safeguard the loss of life and property,” said Commander Kido. “The further benefit of gun-like weapons is their ability to distinguish our agents and their fighting style from that of humanoid Neighbours. I need not remind you of the consequences if civilians mistake our enemy for our agents.”

Netsuki uttered a low, distressed squeak. 

“We’ll just have to deal with it when it comes,” said Shinoda. 

“Do your job,” said Kinuta pointedly. 

“If the media makes a fuss over it, then just give them a new image,” said Karasawa. “We’ve got plenty of ways to go forward from there.”

“A new… image?” said Netsuki, beginning to think frantically. “Agents who give off.. an absolute sense of reliability… of protection… do we have… anyone like that?”

“Find one,” said Kido. 


	11. Shooter

“Mikumo, rejoice!” said Yuiga, throwing his hand forward and his head back. “I, an A-rank agent, have come down to the _public training area_ in order to maintain my observation of your feeble progress! How are you doing today?”

“Fine?” said Osamu, falling back a step.

“Were- were we supposed to meet today?” said Osamu. “Er, Yuiga-sempai.”

Yuiga brushed his bangs off his face. “No, no, I just… with my extremely limited free time, you understand… very limited… I have decided to drop by and see how you were doing, and offer my esteemed guidance and counselling.” He flung out his hand again. “We will have a match! Ten rounds, as usual.”

Several A and B rankers watched owlishly for Osamu’s reaction. Yuiga held the pose, although his hand was starting to shake from the effort.

“Er- thank you,” said Osamu. “I’m free right now, sempai, if you are.”

“Of course, of course,” said Yuiga. “I won’t take it easy on you, Mikumo- you’ll never learn anything that way at all!”

“He really must like you,” said Yoneya, when Osamu walked out, down six matches to Yuiga. He was relaxing on the couch and had just gone for a break. “He hasn’t come down here since the last time a B-ranker kicked his ass up and down the base. Not even one of the very good B-rankers.”

Yoneya sucked on his soda straw. “And he lost to you on-screen, too. You’re best friends, buddy. Congratulations.”

Osamu opened his mouth, closed his mouth, and then said, “Having matches against him has been very useful. I’ve learned a great deal from our time together.”

Yoneya clapped him on the shoulder. “Nice to have a sparring buddy, isn’t it?”

Yuiga staggered out from the training room and said, “Not that I’m not fully capable of going another twenty rounds- and beating you, Mikumo, I’ve got quite a handle on your technique- but I believe it is time for me to return to the first A-ranked squad strategy room. I will be missed.”

“Thank you for taking the time to spar with me,” said Osamu politely, and nodded his head.

Yuiga brightened all over and inflated like a balloon. “Of course, of course, of course!” he crowed, flicking his bangs to the side. “It’s least I can do to help you!”


	12. Sniper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN OBVIOUS FOLLOW-UP.

Netsuki tottered sideways into someone else’s desk and wept. 

“I can rewrite the report if that’s what he wants,” said Azuma, watching with concern.

“No, it was good,” said Shinoda. “You made a number of very strong points and we think you’re right, a long-range support position would make a great deal of difference to our battle strategy and capitalize on the home ground advantage that Border has.”

Kinuta rubbed his chin. “We’re already making rifle and handgun models… shouldn’t be too much trouble to adapt the design…”

“The Next Generation of After-School Shooters,” moaned Netsuki. “Raise your children in a warzone! Headshot your friends!”

“We…  _ are _ in a warzone,” said Azuma. “Besides, I think that even with considerable practice the sniper position will be very difficult to master to that extent.”

“You will be creating the entire position from scratch and overseeing every aspect,” said Kido, a statement and not a question.

“Yes sir,” said Azuma. 

“You will be taking responsibility for the training of every new agent who wishes to enlist in this position,” said Kido. “In addition to your duties as an A-rank squad leader.” 

Azuma’s calm dark gaze met Kido’s squarely. “I will,” he said. 


	13. Operator

The employee blocks of the Border-built evacuee apartments strongly remind Hana of Border HQ itself, the same sparse, practical, direct hand in every line of its design and internal logic. They came up practically overnight after the first invasion, and Hana remembers sharing before the families moved out to bigger housing and she got her living assignment, stuck in one and a half rooms with the Katoris and their careful, crushing concern. But this size is roomy for her all by herself, the belongings she’s brought out from the wreckage of her old house barely enough to fill the silence. But there’s school and there’s Border, where designated quiet rooms are usually half-full of other agents completing schoolwork, where if Hana sits for five minutes in the canteen a dozen people she knows will wander by and wish her well. There’s always extra defense duty shifts to pick up at Border for living expenses, volunteering to help operators-in-training as Hana herself was helped.

Hana’s floor is two-thirds empty, a women’s floor sandwiched by two floors of engineers and agents. The muffled noises that come from outside, a male voice cursing loudly and a girl shouting at him, are unusual enough that Hana pokes out her head to see who it is.

Youko yelps in shock. “You weren't supposed to come out yet!” she rounds on Miura. “Look what you did! I was supposed to be moved in before she- ugh, you probably disturbed everyone in the building, clumsy!”

“You’re moving in?” says Hana, even as her eyes take in the evidence; a rolling suitcase, one of Youko’s duffel bags slung over her shoulder, the empty apartment with its open door, Miura-kun sweating under a stack of taped-shut, bulging cardboard boxes he can barely see around.

“Just put them down here, that’s fine,” snaps Youko, pulling the top box out of his arms and shoving it just inside the door. “Where’s Rokurou?”

“He was right behin- oh, there he is.”

“I thought you said you knew how to get here,” demanded the last member of their team.

“Where are my other boxes?” demanded Youko in return.

“Still in the lobby,” said Wakamura. “No one’s going to take it.”

“I’ll go,” said Miura cheerfully. “Just four more, right?”

“No, Yuuta-” said Wakamura. He sighed as Miura vanished around the corner. “Where do you want this, then?” he said.

“Just put it anywhere in there,” said Youko. “I’ll unpack and sort them later or something.” She dumped her bags down in the entryway and stretched, groaning. “I’m moving in- I was going to surprise you with it, but now THEY’VE ruined it… I thought we could use our trion bodies too, but apparently it’s still not allowed here.”

“We couldn’t have carried all those boxes with just brute strength,” said Wakamura.

“Your family...” said Hana

“They said I could,” says Youko, tossing back her hair. “It’s not all the time- I’ll go back on weekends maybe- but this is closer to the HQ and it’ll be faster for me to go from here to school and training.” She crosses her arms. “And I planned to move out anyway for college, so this is just doing it ahead of time.”

“And who’ll be doing the cleaning?” says Hana, adjusting her glasses.

“I’ll do my own cleaning!” says Youko, annoyed. “But not now, my stuff is still all in boxes and THESE TWO haven’t finished moving me in yet. Since my parents can’t get in without Border IDs.”

“If you’d been able to keep yourself to four boxes like you _promised_ -” says Wakamura.

“I had a lot of stuff, okay? Lay off!” Youko folds her arms. “That’s just how it is when you move out by yourself, not that you’d know anything about it.”

Wakamura rolls his eyes sideways at their operator, who looks back at him with her usual even expression.

“I’m starting dinner,” says Hana, turning to go back into her apartment. “After you guys are finished, we can eat.”


	14. Executive

“You wanted to see me?” said Yuuma, coming forward into the conference room. Behind Commander Kido, large screens showed the frozen replays of the day’s battles, each paused at a different crucial moment. 

“Congratulations on your team’s success in the selection battles,” said Kido, not turning around. 

“Thanks,” said Yuuma. “Did you call me here just for that?”

“No.” Kido shut off the screens and seated himself. Yuuma remained standing. 

“As agreed, Tamakoma 2 will be bringing the Neighbour along as part of the away mission,” the Commander said. 

“That’s right,” agreed Yuuma. 

“You’ve been informed of the mission’s objectives,” said Kido. “If at any time the Neighbour threatens the success of the mission, you are to no longer consider him an agent of Border. You may take any means necessary to disable him or remove him from the mission.”

“By which you mean…” said Yuuma.

“Kill him,” said Kido. 

“Oh,” said Yuuma, pleasantly. He’d known this would come; every time there was a black trigger, the commanders all thought the same thing. “So you want me to do your dirty work?”

“No,” said Kido. “There are others with the same orders and who will similarly take action if the Neighbour endangers the success of the away mission or the lives of your fellow agents. It may turn out that your intervention or assistance is completely unnecessary.” Kido closed his eyes, and then opened them. “Of course, if he continues to co-operate, the terms of our original agreement will stand.”

Yuuma mulled this over. ‘He’ll expect it,” he said. “We’re playing nicely now, but he’s made no secret that he has his own objectives.“ Yuuma’s eyes narrowed. “I should say, we expect it.” Osamu might suspect. Osamu might even suspect his fellow agents, the A-rankers with eyes like knives. Osamu certainly knew that they both took pains to never let Hyuuse be alone with Chika and that Yuuma did not like to leave the prisoner alone with their leader for too long. 

Osamu, who tried his best to take everything upon himself, would not let himself suspect that Yuuma, too, carried orders to murder their erstwhile teammate. Carried the intention to, if Hyuuse ever pushed it that far. 

It was better that way. 

“Naturally,” said Kido. “Is there anything else you need clarification on?” 

“Should I tell my squad leader about this?” said Yuuma, watching Kido closely.

“That’s your decision,” said Kido. 

“You don’t care if I carry out your order?” said Yuuma. 

“When it becomes necessary, you will act on your own accord and in accordance with your own judgement, whether I have ordered you to or not,” said the Commander. Yuuma’s father had served with a man like this, grown up in this city, fought for and with and ultimately walked away from, a man who had become this. He spoke absolutely, as though his former comrade could only have raised this kind of son. “That’s just the kind of person you are.”  


	15. Captain

“This is not goodbye,” said Azuma. “Rather, this is good luck. I’ve discussed this with all of you before, and now is the time. Azuma Squad will be dissolved, we’ll forfeit our first-ranked position, and you three will go forth to select new squads of your own. I know you’re ready for it and I know you’ll all do very well.”

“You do?” said Kako, eyes innocent. 

“I do,” said Azuma firmly. “You’ll be starting over in B-rank, but I have confidence that you’ll all rise back to A-rank very quickly. You’re strong agents, and you’ll be strong leaders.”

Ninomiya and Miwa murmured thanks, but Kako tilted her head. “What are you going to do?” she said. 

“Concentrate on my thesis,” said Azuma. 

“Really?” said Miwa, surprised. 

“I’ll still be around and I’ll still be training and consulting,” said Azuma. “But it’s time for me to take a break.” He smiled. 

“Besides,” he added. “I don’t want to be in your way when you guys start blasting away for the top.”

The three agents looked at each other, Kako with a hint of a smirk, and Ninomiya with his face unreadable. Miwa looked at his two seniors and evaluated his chances. 

“We’re all going to start out on the same foot,” said Ninomiya evenly. 

“Then why does Shuuji get Ren-chan?” said Kako, still smirking. 

“Miwa is the youngest,” said Ninomiya. “He’ll require the most assistance on his path.”

“Oh?” said Kako. “And you won’t?” 

“I have already spoken to some B-rank agents about taking a position on my squad,” said Ninomiya. “I expect to make my selections shortly.”

“Is that why you were talking to Hatohara?” said Kako. “Her? Really?”

“Why, do you want her for your squad?” said Ninomiya, raising an eyebrow at her. 

“No, her name doesn’t start with K,” Kako said. 

“What a pointless way to form a team,” said Ninomiya. 

“Better than picking a sniper who can’t shoot,” said Kako. She ran a hand through her hair, and smiled at him. The crease in his forehead got deeper along with her smile. “I’ve got some people in mind, too. My operator’s lined up, at least.” She looked at Miwa. 

“...I might have someone from my school,” said Miwa. “I’ll have to see who else looks promising.” 

“You’re well on your way already,” said Azuma. “I look forward to seeing what all of you accomplish.” 


	16. Enlistee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for the most recent chs of WT, I GAVE UP.

“The black uniform!” cried Kouda, watching the newcomer fight the top-ranked attackers on the big scree. 

“Our downfall,” said Hinoe.

Saotome clenched his fist. “Tamakoma!” he said, his voice a tortured whisper. 

“We have to learn… we have to know,” said Kouda. 

“Us,” said Hinoe. “The heroes in white… opposing the black-clad… strong.”

“Every defeat only spurs us higher!” said Saotome, still in a tortured whisper.

“Those who do not learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them,” said Kouda. He lifted his head, staring clear-eyed ahead into a light fixture. “All our struggles… only we are worthy.”


	17. Old Border

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I invite you to contemplate with me the possibility that Jin's aesthetic has influenced the whole of Border's fashion sense.

Jin sighed happily. “I like the new look,” he said. “It makes me feel as though we’re a group, you know. Konami, the cape is really cute.”

“Reiji helped me sew my patch on,” said Konami, who nevertheless stood a little higher, shifting her shoulders with pride. 

“Oo~ good job!” said Jin, peering at Reiji’s jacketed, bulging shoulder as well. “Very nice work, Reiji! As expected.”

“Anyone can sew on a patch,” said Reiji, his arms crossed. “The material is just thick, that’s all. 

“I did my own,” said Jin, displaying his own jacket with the patch just ever so slightly off-center. “I think it looks good!”

Reiji looked at it and sighed. “If you leave it with me tonight I can rip out the stitches and put it back on straight for you by tomorrow afternoon,” he said. 

“Would you?” said Jin without shame. “That’d be a great help.”

“Let me look at it,” said Reiji, resigned. 

Jin handed it over and sat back on the table, kicking his heels and waiting for the adults to arrive. “When we’re big enough to have uniforms,” he said. “I think it’ll be nice for everyone to be able to customize theirs a little. Like mine, you know.”

“If,” said Reiji absently, inspecting Jin’s stitches. 

“Unfortunately, this uncle cannot wear a sweatsuit design without looking like a jogger or a flasher,” said Rindou, coming in to catch the tail end of this conversation. “It’s sad, but age makes demands of us all.”

“We can change your trion bodies to reflect your battle… uniforms, I should say,” said Michael. Sometimes he looked at them as though he found it impossible to convey to them the world he came from, as he did now. “It is possible. But that kind of trion customization is beyond the technology at my disposal right now.”

“What’s wrong with my battle uniform?” said Shinoda. 

“Looks great on you,” said Rindou. “Don’t change a thing.”

“That’s right, Shinoda-san,” said Jin. “But I’m just too young and callow to pull off that look the way you do. I’ll have to stick with my tracksuit. Once Reiji’s done with it, of course.”

“I don’t think it’ll catch on,” said Konami. “It’s too ordinary and it doesn’t suit our purpose.”

“And what would that purpose be?” said Mogami, his hand coming down on Konami’s head to ruffle her hair. 

“We’ll have to ask Kido-san that,” said Jin, smiling past him to their leader, looking over each and every one of them as he entered the room. 


	18. Side Effects

“I know you’re doing something,” said Kageura, out of the blue, frowning at his lunch. Kou twitched, once and visibly. “You know I can feel it.”

Regaining control, Kou calmly raised his drink packet to his mouth. “You don’t know what, though,” he said.

“I’ll beat you up right here,” said Kage. “No triggers. No trion bodies. We can go at it right now.”

“We’re in school,” Kou pointed out. “Pass.”

“Now!” squeal-hissed Kunichika. The four operators and two agents, all hiding behind the wall to the corridor, closed their eyes and concentrated as hard as they could.

As they watched, Kageura’s back visibly shuddered and he turned to glare at them. “Stop that,” he growled.

“Stop _what_?” said Touma, grinning, and beamed a nearly-solid wave of cloying adoration in his direction. Next to him, Yuka and Mako kept their eyes open to continue observing but stared at Kage with huge, soulful eyes. Nire, who had declined to participate on the basis that if she made cow eyes at her captain, she’d have to throw up, leaned against the wall and laughed.

Kageura shook so hard he nearly fell out of his chair and forced himself upwards by leaning on his desk. “I’m going to get you for- uwglurgggggggggh,” he said, physically recoiling.

Zoe released his expression of concentration. “Feel our love!” he said.

“Does it feel any different?” called Mako, her voice authoritative. “Did you feel us here, or just Murakami-kun?”

“It _feels_ gross,” growled Kage. “Like you’re- touching me all over. With wet hands. Stop it.”

“It works,” said Kou, his tone mildly surprised.

“But _how_ does it work,” Yuka said, peeking over the window sill at Kage. “You’re right, it is a very interesting application of his side-effect.”

“Traitor,” Kage snarled to Nire and Zoe.

“We need to know about this too!” said Nire. “Otherwise, we’re going to have a repeat of that Tamakoma battle- you’re going to be buried in lead bullets before you can blink.”

“No one ELSE has ever done it,” said Kage, fuming.

“Those who do not learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them,” said Touma, looking wisely away from them.

Kage advanced on them slowly. “I can beat _you_ ,” he said meaningfully to Touma and Zoe.

“But we love you!” said Zoe, inching away. “Uh, captain.”

With a massive effort of will, Kage lunged for them. The operators stayed right where they were. Touma and Zoe ran for it.

“I don’t think it’s going to be possible for most people to aim at Kage without any aggressive intent at all,” said Kou, coming to the window to watch Zoe rapidly outpace Touma and leave him to his gruesome fate. “Amatori might be the only one.”

“True,” said Nire. “Worth a try, anyway.”

“Worth coming over here to watch,” said Kunichika, chuckling to herself.

Mako stood up and brushed non-existent dust off her skirt. “I hope they return in time for class,” she observed.

The bell began to ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SCENARIO: Chika is the only sniper who can hit Kage bc her shooting has no aggressive intent within it. 
> 
> Also, Hokari was out doing some sports during his break, obviously.


	19. Solo Rank

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Tamakoma' 'Old Border' 'Housemates'.

“Is this another one of your ideas for what can happen with trion?” said Rindou. “You’ve read too many science fiction novels.”

“You’ve gotten trion to do some amazing things,” said Shinoda. “But this seems so… advanced.”

“They’ve got technology better than this, better than anything we have,” said Yuugo. He fanned out his printouts, all of them scribbled over and marked up in arcane symbols. 

“You just want to get out of being defeated by me,” said Souichi, who nevertheless picked one up and studied it with interest. “It’s alright, you can say it.”

“We could train for- days!” said Shinoda, very pleased as he worked through the implications. “And we wouldn’t need to worry about being seen, or being overextended if a Neighbour arrived.”

“None of us would die,” said Yuugo. 

“Kuga,” said Masamune, his voice very calm but his jaw set and his eyes blazing. “Could we speak privately for a moment, please.” His sleeves were rolled up and he was soaped up to the elbows; he held a crusted-over, burnt pot in one hand. 

Yuugo paled. 

“This training room, where Border would all fight each other at any time of the day and night,” said Rindou. “Would it be painful?”

“That’s an element of the process I haven’t quite worked out yet,” said Yuugo, rising reluctantly from his seat. 

“Kuga.”

“Work fast,” murmured Souichi. 


	20. Teams

All the operators at the table stared back at Kakizaki, petrified. 

“Sorry,” he said, spooked by their surprise. “Just wanted to pass something to Madoka…” he vaguely waved a binder that belonged to her.

“T-thanks!” said Madoka, jumping up and ushering him away from the table, but not before Kakizaki registered that arranged neatly in groups on the table were card-sized agent profiles, mixed and matched between the group of girls and covered in agent statistics. Two fledgling operators were frozen in the middle of arranging a trade which involved two illegible IOUs and a candy bar.

“Was that-” he said. 

“Index cards!” said Madoka. “We’re… running through team configurations with index cards. Er. Memory aids.”

“Are you  _ gambling _ ?” said Kakizaki. 

“Not with money!” she said. “It’s.. it’s just a good way to train rookies on team composition, that’s all. Very good visual learning.”

“Did you do this when...  _ we _ formed the team?” he said.

“N- no,” she said. “Not when we.. started.”

“Is this…  _ how _ we formed the team,” he said. 

“...if you tell, we will know,” said Madoka. 

Kakizaki handed over the file to his operator, and slowly, all the operators watching him as he retreated, backed away. 


	21. Mentors

Hyuuse sits quietly with his back straight, arms folded in his lap, deeply conscious of being in the presence of a living legend. This is a wonderful opportunity for him, for his talents, his skill and his house. 

“He’s very promising,” says Visa. “Very promising. I would be greatly honoured to tutor Lord Hyuuse in the art of swordplay, and I am grateful that you approached this humble servant of yours to impart his training.”

“And when-” says Hyuuse’s master, voice proud. 

Visa’s fingers tighten ever so slightly on Organon’s hilt, brushing the molded lines with his fingers, calloused and strong when they corrected Hyuuse’s stance, positioning, posture. Hyuuse can’t stop staring at it, even now. To keep Organon in their service- to maintain House Ellin‘s service to their lord-

“We’ll see,” muses their greatest living swordsman. “We shall certainly see.”


	22. Team Rooms

“NOTHING WAS HAPPENING,” shrieked Kitora, shoving Osamu headfirst over the back of the squad room sofa. 

“Oh~?” said Yuuma. 

Osamu popped up, his clothes rumpled, and said, “N-n-nothing was happening, why would you think something was happening?”   
Yuuma looked at Osamu, his eyes dark and amused. 

“That is to say,” amended his team captain, “K-Kitora and I had just gathered to discuss our joint defense duty later today.”

Kitora sat perfectly still with her face in her hands, ears scarlet. Osamu leaned over and put his hand on her back with concern, and when Kitora didn’t violently shake him off, giant grins spread over the faces of their respective teammates. 

Well, Yuuma’s face. Tokieda just smiled, pleased and a little amused. 

“What an innocent meeting we’ve interrupted,” said Yuuma. “I should go back down to the training rooms with Arashiyama-san and five dozen of our closest friends and tell them you two are busy in here.”

“You dare!” said Kitora, lunging to her feet. 

“Kuuga!” said Osamu, trying to follow her and tripping over the back of the sofa again.  

“I will stop him,” said Tokieda. “Though I think he is only messing with you and would never interfere with your privacy in that way.”

“Y-yes,” said Osamu, relieved. Kitora looked slightly less panicked and took hold of his arm to pull him upright. “Kuuga wouldn’t-”

“We weren’t  _ doing anything _ ,” said Kitora, her controlled voice just short of a wail. 

“I really do believe you,” said Tokieda. “I know you would both never do anything inappropriate while on duty.”

Osamu and Kitora both nearly choked on their flustered horror. 

“It’s a little awkward,” said Tokieda. “But as a matter of general practice, if you need any privacy, I’ve found that entering a training room  _ in _ the team room is awkward, but will do in a pinch.”

This time, Osamu and Kitora did audibly choke, and Tokieda discreetly closed the door on them and walked down the hall to where Yuuma was propping himself against the wall, breathless with laughter. 


	23. Rank War

Hyuuse opened the household foodstuffs refrigeration unit and looked into it. Shiori had been very clear that anything not specifically labeled for his consumption was not to be stolen, lest- and here she had adjusted her glasses meaningfully in Youtarou’s direction- he wished to suffer the consequences. 

Hyuuse still thought that the Miden language looked like a bunch of completely random squiggles, but he took the pudding that Youtarou had drawn a pair of horns on. 

“Hyuuse,” said Osamu, who had been lurking on the landing for a full minute, as if Hyuuse hadn’t heard him coming down the stairs in the first place. “Are you free? I was going into the study.”

Hyuuse stared at him, pudding spoon still in his mouth. Osamu looked back, still, as always, equipped with that sense of wavering uncertainty.

“We’re not friends, Osamu,” said Hyuuse.

“I mean,” said Osamu. “I’m looking over match videos of our opponents, and I was wondering if you’d like to watch them as well.”

“I’ve already seen your matches,” said Hyuuse. “Youtarou showed them to me.”

“These are the recorded videos of the other battles they’ve participated in during this rank war,” said Osamu. “How they’ve changed since they fought us.”

Obviously. “You could just give me a tablet, and I could watch them,” Hyuuse pointed out.

Osamu’s eyes met his, and this was the thing about Tamakoma 2’s totally ordinary captain. When everything else about him was indecision, he could look at Hyuuse like he was utterly, perfectly sure. “I think it’d be better to do it together, if you’re free.”

Hyuuse sucked sweetness off his plastic spoon. “When I’ve finished this,” he said. “I’ll find you.”

“I’ll set up then,” said Osamu, all the surety coming out of him in a big gulp. “We can talk strategy and… go over anything you’ll need to ask.”

We are not friends. “Fine… Captain,” said Hyuuse. 


	24. Food

“Ah, Hyuuse-kun!” called Usami. “Come over here, help me peel and cut up these vegetables, okay? I’m a little behind today, and Yuuma-kun, Chika-chan and Osamu-kun are finishing their defense duty soon!”

Hyuuse looked at her. “That’s servant’s work,” he said down his nose, as though he’d never gone hungry a day in his life until the hour that his master had taken him in. 

“It may be servants work where you come from, but here at Tamakoma we all take turns at cooking and we pitch in whenever we can,” said Usami, cheerfulness unimpaired. 

“That’s-” said Hyuuse. 

Reiji, sitting quietly at the other end of the coffee table reading a newspaper, simply looked at Hyuuse, who looked back at the broad shoulders and bulging arms and remembered that this Miden fighter had punched him in the face once already.

“That’s right!” cheered Usami, helping Hyuuse take off his jacket to wash his hands in the sink. “Now, do you know how to use one of these…?”

“Of course I know,” said Hyuuse. “It’s a knife.” And this woman and the Miden fighter were letting Hyuuse use a knife so close to her, how low they rated his skills-

“It’s a vegetable peeler, Hyuuse-kun,” said Usami, handing it to him. “You just drag it down the vegetable and take off the skin. Do you need me to show you how to do it?”

Hyuuse examined the ‘peeler’. It would indeed be hard to kill someone with this, he conceded. And Usami stood prudently near the drawer where the knives were actually kept. At least they remembered to do that much. “Of course not,” he said, rotating the strange Miden produce, bright orange with a pointed end, sighing at the latest Tamakoma indignity. “It’s only peeling vegetables.”

  
“I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT,” says Hyuuse, when Tamakoma 2 come in to the sight of Reiji wrapping Hyuuse’s fingers in gauze.


	25. School

“Anyone know what classes Tachikawa’s in?” said Arashiyama, trying to track down all the agents he could find at university. “Trying to work out a new schedule and I can’t find him anywhere.”

“When does he take classes?” said Kazama, lifting an eyebrow. “He’s always at the base.”

“Uh,” said Kuruma. “I know I’ve seen him around my school’s block a few times.”

“Tachikawa takes classes?” said Kako. 

Kakizaki shook his head. “Sorry, got nothing.” 

“...maybe he doesn’t take any classes,” said Suwa. 

“You should ask Ninomiya-kun,” said Tsukimi, who knew everything.

Arashiyama nodded and quickly found the shooter. “Would you happen to know what classes Tachikawa is in?” 

Ninomiya lifted unto him a tortured, haunted face. “I do,” he said. “I scout all of them ahead of time.”

“That’d be really helpful… uh… why?” said Arashiyama. 

Ninomiya shuddered all over and passed Arashiyama the list of two course codes. “Self-preservation,” he said. 


	26. Defense Duty

“- _ reports today of the sight of small to medium Neighbours making their way rapidly across the roofs of the Hazard Zone while appearing to continually jump in order to gain height and search for victims in a chilling display of agility and dexterity. These actions continued for some time and caused distress and consternation for a number of citizens continuing to live in proximity to the Hazard Zone. Fortunately the Neighbours were once again dealt with and repelled by the actions and bravery of Border agents due to their quick response time.” _

Netsuki put his head in his hands. “ _ Why _ ,” he said. 

“I only…” said Nasu, head bowed, hands folded in her lap. “I only wanted to run some more. I am deeply sorry.”

Netsuki hurriedly jerked to the side, his lip quivering. “J-j-just see you don’t do it again!” he said. 

Nasu lowered her head further. “I understand,” she said. 

“In the daytime,” Netsuki said. He choked back a sob. “But you shouldn’t be out too late at night.” 


	27. Death

Chika flushed and looked down at her hands guiltily, her head bobbing back and forth as she searched for an answer adjacent to the truth. 

“It’s the duty of any soldier,” said Hyuuse. “To serve your nation even in death.” 

“Such talk is self-defeating,” said Reiji. “We don’t need to entertain such thoughts.”

Jin tapped the corner of his eye just under his visor, smiling. 

“...could I?” said Osamu.

“It’s an interesting question,” said Yuuma. “Would be worth trying. I’d learn something I don’t know.”

(The mind-numbing boredom of waiting for the Away Ship to land back in HQ was whiled away by the two captains on watch, on the basis that everyone else was resting and Fuyushima was throwing up. 

“Ever thought about what kind of Black Trigger you’d make?’ said Tachikawa.

“No,” said Kazama, in a voice calculated to quell discussion. 

After thinking about it three minutes more, he got up and slapped Tachikawa up his stupid head.) 


	28. BBF Chart (Grades)

“Arafune,’ said Murakami. “You’re still doing well in school? Got some time?”

The sniper turned his head to stare at Murakami. “Yes,” he said, completely flat-eyed. “And also yes.”

“I’ve got someone who needs tutoring,” said Murakami.

“What’s wrong with your grades?” said Arafune. “I thought your side-effect would work best with remembering school stuff.”

“I can remember them,” said Murakami. “It turns out that there’s a little more effort involved in getting good grades.” He shifted his arm position. “And it turns out that that means I can’t teach.”

“I could have told you that,” said Arafune. Murakami took a swing, which went wide as Arafune ducked. “Who is it you can’t teach? I told Kage before, there’s no way I’ll-”

“No,” said Murakami. “No, someone else.”

 .0.

“He did this to me,” said Arafune hoarsely. His hands were in his hair and his hat was on the table, fallen off as he beat his head on the desk. “He knew and he did it anyway.”

“You’re a much better teacher than he is,” said Yuuma fairly. “This is more progress than anyone else but Miwa-sempai.”

“When did Tamakoma give up,” said Arafune.

“Four days ago,” said Yuuma.

“Did Reiji-san give up,” said Arafune.

“Yes,” said Yuuma, neglecting to mention that it had taken Shiori and Yuri both to coax the broken man away from the table.

Arafune sat up and put his hat back on. “Alright,” he said. “Alright. Polynomials.”


	29. Media

“That’s enough!” said Kitora, commanding attention just by raising her voice and her chin.

“You may refer to the official press releases by the Public Relations Department for clarifications of the information you have already received. Any further updates will be communicated officially by Border  _ at the correct time _ . Please remember that journalists are requested not to press Border agents, the majority of whom are minors, for information. Mikumo-kun,  _ this way _ .”

“Thank you,” said Osamu fervently. He clung to her arm as she bodily towed him away from the excited crowd. He would rather have climbed back on the Expedition Ship and single-handedly infiltrated an army.

“You should know how to handle them by now,” said Kitora. She tightened her grip on his forearm and Osamu stood up straighter by pure reflex. “And you should expect this. You were the one who crashed a press conference, surely you took the experience and learned from it. ”

“I was full of painkillers and I’d just woken up from a coma,” said Osamu. 

“Excuses,” said Kitora. “Yet more excuses. You might at least make sure that when you go outside, you’re worth looking at.”


	30. Families

Moira was waiting for him, which surprised Enedra. She rarely graced her lesser relatives with her patience. 

“You’re late,” she said. 

He could clearly remember every one of a handful of times she had spoken to him before his skill was recognised. When his horns had been implanted she had held one of his hands in hers, and spoke to him throughout, her voice clear and not at all comforting. The day his horns had turned black, and his teachers rushed him to a meeting of house heads she had been among them, her own horns gleaming proudly. 

“Some of us have  _ active _ duties,” he said back, striding past her. 

The day Vorvoros was put around his wrist, and she had looked down from his horns into his face, and smiled. 

Visa bowed his head at them just a little further than politeness demanded; Enedra sneered at him.

This must be important, if they’ve sent for that senile old geezer. 

He pitched his voice to carry to House Beltiston’s unflappable young master, House Ellin’s prodigy foster soldier. They’re sour-faced chumps, anyway. “What am I doing at this meeting of peons?” he said. “Don’t we have better things to do?”

“Do you think so?” she said. Her gaze flicked upwards to his horns, down to his eye. Her voice was very clear, very cold. 


	31. Free time

“Yuri-san said she wanted some eggs and we’re out of milk,” said Osamu, reading off his phone. 

“Right,” said Reiji. Immediately the car took a turn down a narrow side road and barreled towards the nearest supermarket. 

“Right,” said Reiji, and he grabbed Youtarou and marched into the supermarket, Chika following him as she snagged a shopping basket as fast she could scurry. 

“You might as well come in,” said Yuuma. “Miden markets are pretty interesting.”

Hyuuse sighed heavily.

“Keep your hood up if you do,” said Osamu. “I’ll… stay in the car since Reiji-san hasn’t locked it.”

They all looked at the front driver’s-side door, still hanging open. 

“Or shut off the car.”

“Keep Osamu company then,” said Yuuma. 

“Fine, I’ll go,” said Hyuuse. He followed Yuuma to the supermarket doors to see Chika attempting to stop Reiji and replace the child in his hand with her shopping basket. 

Yuuma helped her lever Youtarou out of Reiji’s grip and Chika said, “Here! Here’s the milk and eggs!”

“Right,” said Reiji. “What else does Yuri-san want?”

“ _ ICE CREAM _ ,” screamed Youtarou, still held aloft by Yuuma, seeing the opportunity and seizing it with both hands. 

“Right,” said Reiji. 

Hyuuse hung back, studying the assembled produce to identify his nemesis. He picked up a yellow fruit and smelled it, surprised when the scent came back sour. 

He went down the row of fruit, stopping only when he reached for a basket of some of kind of berry and collided with the hand of another patron.

“Sorry,” said Hyuuse automatically. He kept his head down to keep his hood up and walked off quickly in the direction of Youtarou cheering “COOKIES” at the top of his lungs. 

He wondered why the man kept looking after him until Yuuma appeared at the end of the stack of foodstuffs and waved his hand to the scarred man. Hyuuse turned his head backwards then, and met the edge of the cold gaze as Border’s Commander vanished into the dairy aisle. 

“You can buy one thing you want too,” said Yuuma to Hyuuse. “As a treat.” 


End file.
